Fine And Dandy Shop

Dandy Advertising: Charles Williams Stores Part 6

noreply@blogger.com (FineAndDandyShop.com) — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 15:00:00 +0000

From the Fall/Winter 1915-16 catalog. We picked it up a couple of months ago and it's a dandy treasure trove. This post features boys and young men. Next up, sleepwear and underwear.

Dandy Advertising: Charles Williams Stores Part 5

noreply@blogger.com (FineAndDandyShop.com) — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 15:00:00 +0000

From the Fall/Winter 1915-16 catalog. We picked it up a couple of months ago and it's a dandy treasure trove. This post features shoes. Next up, boys and young men.

Dandy Advertising: Charles Williams Stores Part 4

noreply@blogger.com (FineAndDandyShop.com) — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 15:00:00 +0000

From the Fall/Winter 1915-16 catalog. We picked it up a couple of months ago and it's a dandy treasure trove. This post features outerwear. Next up, shoes.

Dandy Advertising: Charles Williams Stores Part 3

noreply@blogger.com (FineAndDandyShop.com) — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 15:00:00 +0000

From the Fall/Winter 1915-16 catalog. We picked it up a couple of months ago and it's a dandy treasure trove. This post features accessories. Next up, outerwear.

Dandy Advertising: Charles Williams Stores Part 2

noreply@blogger.com (FineAndDandyShop.com) — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 15:00:00 +0000

From the Fall/Winter 1915-16 catalog. We picked it up a couple of months ago and it's a dandy treasure trove. This post features coats, shirts, and trousers. Next up, accessories.

Dandy Advertising: Charles Williams Stores Part 1

noreply@blogger.com (FineAndDandyShop.com) — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 15:00:00 +0000

From the Fall/Winter 1915-16 catalog. We picked it up a couple of months ago and it's a dandy treasure trove. This post features suiting. Next up, coats, shirts, and trousers.

Dandy Designer: Hackett London Spring/Summer 2012

noreply@blogger.com (FineAndDandyShop.com) — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 14:55:00 +0000

These images from the newly released Hackett London Spring/Summer 2012 lookbook are getting me excited for Spring!

Dandies Online: GQ Japan

noreply@blogger.com (FineAndDandyShop.com) — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 14:46:00 +0000

Our street style photographer friend Guerre posted some photos on GQ Japan from Milan fashion week. Here are some highlights.

Dandy Treasures: Tie Rack

noreply@blogger.com (FineAndDandyShop.com) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 18:18:00 +0000

Blessed be the Tie that binds (tie rack)!

Dandy Video: The Satorialist Lunch For 25

noreply@blogger.com (FineAndDandyShop.com) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 00:39:00 +0000

The Satorialist: Lunch For 25 - a video documenting a luncheon hosted by Scott Schuman at Pitti Uomo for some of his favorite guys who helped make his site what it is today.

The Sartorialist: Lunch For 25 from The Sartorialist on Vimeo.

Dandies In Print: Gakken Mook Fashion Text

noreply@blogger.com (FineAndDandyShop.com) — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 19:53:00 +0000

A couple of weeks ago I came across the Gakken Mook Fashion Text Series at J. Crew and immediately recognized the illustrations from Free & Easy, a favorite magazine of mine from Japan. The Japanese do men's style so brilliantly and it's pretty evident in Mr. Mook's series of practical sartorial texts. Unfortunately, they're not cheap here in the US: $30 at J. Crew. They're about half the price on Amazon Japan but the shipping will cost you the price of a bespoke suit.

(image: Kodamono)

(image: How To Good Man)

Haberdashery Finds: Chicago Tailoring Co

noreply@blogger.com (FineAndDandyShop.com) — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 01:00:00 +0000

The Chicago Tailoring Company Fall/Winter 1909 catalog. Although I love the images, the illustrator isn't the most flattering in his depictions of the models. A little boxy, no? He's no J.C. Leyendecker!

Formal Friday

noreply@blogger.com (FineAndDandyShop.com) — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 16:32:00 +0000

Fridays have officially gone formal at FineAndDandyShop.com. In our opinion the world has gone too casual from a style perspective. This is our anti-casual Friday. So each week we ask you to get dressed up, encourage your co-workers to do the same, and send us a photo: info@FineAndDandyShop.com.

Jamison:

Andy:

Hugo:

Jose:

Enrique:

Matt:

Vintage Dandy

noreply@blogger.com (FineAndDandyShop.com) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 17:54:00 +0000

I think this guy was the originator of Formal Friday.

Haberdashery Finds: The Progress Tailoring Co

noreply@blogger.com (FineAndDandyShop.com) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 00:14:00 +0000

The 1913 Progress Tailoring Company order form. I wonder how many guys back then received ill-fitting items because they couldn't possibly identify themselves as "large body corpulent" or "small body thick set". (Click images to enlarge.)

Dandy Tailor: P Johnson

noreply@blogger.com (FineAndDandyShop.com) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 22:46:00 +0000

A couple of weeks ago we posted photos from P Johnson's current lookbook. Checking back on the company's web site, their previous lookbook is worth a look as well.

Vintage Dandy: One Hanson Place Brooklyn

noreply@blogger.com (FineAndDandyShop.com) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 00:13:00 +0000

This gent bought a bow tie from us on Saturday at the Brooklyn Flea and returned on Sunday to model it for us. One of the reasons we love doing pop-up shops is it give us an opportunity to interact with our customers in person. Better yet to then see them wearing our products!

Guest Dandy: Ray Frensham's Predictions For 2012

noreply@blogger.com (FineAndDandyShop.com) — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 02:00:00 +0000

Our friend Ray Frensham provides us some insight for the upcoming year in part three of his year end review:

Predictions for 2012 – (I do stress these are MY predictions).

2012 for us here in London will mean two things: the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee (Huzzah!) and the Olympics (groan).

If the Jubilee (June 2-5) is anything like last year’s Royal Wedding or William and Kate, it will be a time when it actually feels good to live in this country again (for the four days anyway).

The Olympics will be another matter: chaos on the public transport systems as they collapse, breakdowns, traffic jams, raging angry crowds in the steaming hot in a country where we haven’t yet heard of air-conditioning.

Plus, let me unveil now (with nods to last year’s riots) the NEW British Olympic Logo.

(I’ve also heard we plan to bring in a new event: Competitive Rioting). To be honest, those of us residents who have any sanity will be leaving the country during the three weeks of the Olympics (July/August).

But let’s look on the bright side and to my Predictions for 2012: Things that will be – in MY opinion (I do stress that) – the Next Big Thing.

1 - Papal Socks

Throw out those Red socks (sooo last yesterday), welcome: Papal Pink – it’s the new red.

I found mine in some Outlet Store in Pennsylvania last year and started buying up more and more of these coloured socks (some call them Raspberry, others Cerise) ...and then I found Gammarelli, the Pope’s vestments suppliers in Rome, courtesy of Luca (see my previous blog).

So for the real deal, get hold of their Raspberry socks by Mazarin (a subsidiary of Gammarelli). They’re not cheap (about $25 a pop) and the company have no web presence, so actually finding the right distributor is a real quest (best of luck). But you just know it won’t be long before copyists out there will be making them cheaper.

And fyi, the ones in the picture are mid-calf length but the Mazarin socks are full Over the Calf.

2 - SuitJamas

Courtesy of the writers of How I Met Your Mother, Barney Stinson had a dream about them and, lo, someone in Australia decided to create them: the SuitJamas. In beautiful silver grey satin, this 4-piece (shirt, tie, pants and jacket) ensemble is a Must for all suit-and-tie fans out there.

The only drawback is I daren’t do anything in bed for fear I might crease my jacket. (Yes, I bought them as soon as I saw them in November). AND you can wear them outdoors too.

3 - Leather Thumb Snood

Matt thinks I’ve completely lost the plot with this one, but I genuinely think this could be The fashion accessory of 2012. Michael Jackson had his diamante glove, why can’t I have my leather thumb...er ...thing / cover / sheath / snood / whatever.

The important thing of course, is Not to have a damaged thumb. It’s purely a fashion accessory. A friend mentioned it was “rather Steampunk”, whatever that is. I just think its quirky.

All it needs is for someone like Sean Combs to wear one at an Awards ceremony or one of the kids from Glee to wear one (Kurt?) on tv and suddenly Whooosh!, we’ll All be wanting them. Just you watch, Matt.

4 - Burgundy Spats

When I mentioned to Matt, earlier last year, I wanted made up a pair of Burgundy Spats (to go with my navy blue suits), little did I think he would actually go ahead and Do it...but he did.

...And there they were in their pop-up shop in December... Matt, you know my size (XL)...the order is ON!

Formal Friday

noreply@blogger.com (FineAndDandyShop.com) — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 11:57:00 +0000

Ranie:

Jose:

Florent:

Brooks:

Enrique:

Matt:

FineAndDandyShop.com At The Brooklyn Flea

noreply@blogger.com (FineAndDandyShop.com) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 18:05:00 +0000

We made a last minute booking and will be setting up shop tomorrow and Sunday at the Brooklyn Flea at 1 Hanson Place (10-5 both days). It's our first time in their indoor market and we're really looking forward to it. Stop by and say hello!

Guest Dandy: Ray Frensham's Stylish Men Of The Year

noreply@blogger.com (FineAndDandyShop.com) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 17:03:00 +0000

Part two of our friend Ray Frensham's second annual list of stylish men:

In this instalment I’ll look at my chums in Europe and beyond whom (I think) will be making waves in 2012 and to see how they are dressing for the imminent recession and the inevitable collapse of the Euro monetary system and general destruction of the world economy! Here goes:

Czech Republic: Matej Fouma

Don’t jazz musicians have The most Cool publicity photos? (and most of them are still smoking – even today). Take Matej from Brno, barely 20 and already he plays piano, accordion, violin, bass, banjo, sax, clarinet and even trumpet. His youtube channel is recommended. More than good.

France: Aswad Al Masrahi

Those of us who are familiar with Rose Callahan’s series of Dandy Portraits will be aware of dear Massimiliano Mocchia de Coggiola and his growing salon in Paris. But there are still a few Parisians not discovered. I’ve always known him as Alex, this barely-20 year old Tunisian already appears to be one of the leading lights of the Gallic Steampunk movement.

Steampunk, while huge in the USA, never really took off in Britain to the extent it did across parts of the Continent/ Alex is sort-of steampunk with an exotic Persian twist.

Germany: Henry de Winter (and Bobby)

“Henry de Winter? Oh, he’s a real Berlin character and he has an adorable dog called Bobby” – so said a realtor friend of mine in Germany. My Most Stylish Man of 2010 has continued onwards and upwards this past year. (Go to youtube, put in Henry’sname + Herr Ober ...and just enjoy).

I spent a couple of weeks in his presence during 2011 (especially the now-legendary New Year’s Eve celebrations at Boheme Sauvage – see us here in sober mood before the revels).

Henry started this year by hosting and performing at the Berlin premiere of The Artist movie and March sees him in Hong Kong (a fundraiser for the HK Cancer Fund), along with his regular domestic bookings. He just needs a proper Manager to take him to the next level (global).

The Netherlands: Mark Davids

Regular readers of the FineAndDandyShopBlog are probably familiar with Amsterdam’s Mark – when he posts a picture on the Formal Friday thread, you have to realise that EVERY day is a formal day for Mark. One of his big triumphs in 2011 was to return all his home plugs, sockets and light switches to Bakelite originals.

I met him twice in Amsterdam (I must’ve been a terrible disappointment to him) and we reunited in Berlin for the –now legendary – New Year’s Eve (see above). We clicked immediately and are now firm chums. Here he is on home ground in Amsterdam with his companion Barbara Balak.

Sweden: Mikael Sjolund

I’ve known Mikael (from just outside Stockholm) for a good few years and have seen him grow from a teenager onto a young adult who, with growing confidence, is expressing his fierce individualism fearlessly. And like a number of our new generation of Dandies, is attending textiles and tailoring classes and now making their own clothes. (He’s up for a possible internship with Karl Lagerfeld in Paris and I’m sure his love of stiff collars won’t go against him). Hands up! – it was me who introduced him to Brooks Brothers’ tie-back and French-back boxers (he’s now a convert and there’s no going back after you bond over boxers). Definitely a name to watch out for in the future. (Have you finished my leopard-skin spats yet, Mikael?). Enjoy his blog.

Finland: Lassi Patokorpi

There must be something in the Scandinavian water... here’s another student (of English) making his own clothes and living the retro life. Living in Tampere (just google-map it) he also runs a vintage clothing website and blog that’s always worth a visit. And he’s barely 22.

Sharing the same head-size, I sent him one of my(surplus!) Bowler hats / Derby and he sent me some vintage stiff collars and we’ve been firm friends ever since.

Spain: Jose Fernandez-Pacheco

A few years ago I showed a young Jose around London during Fashion Week. He was a fledgling journalist then, wondering whether he should take his first presenting job offer on a Fashion TV programme in Madrid . He did.

So fast-forward a few years and we have... "Josie" (as he is now known), one of Spain’s premiere fashion stylists working in print, tv and movies and on peoples’ houses. I still remember the New & Lingwood shirts we bought – I remember it well.

Portugal: Ayres Goncalvo

It’s been a busy year for my tailor that I predicted great things for in last year’s blog. Moving from Savile Row to New York and then on to his home town of Oporto, he started his own label, Ayres Bespoke - and that means Proper Bespoke - with loads of good publicity and by suiting-up several members of the Portuguese Parliament. At least those guys will be able to tackle the financial maelstroms ahead looking good.

Apparently, both Ayres and I will be featured in a book by Portuguese photo-journalist Ze Cabral due out in 2012.

Italy: Luca Pavan Bresciano

...and before you mention it: no, it’s not Hercule Poirot. My friend Luca from Imperia in Northern Italy looks like that (and always has done). He and I have endless discussions about everything from bow ties to moustache care, stiff collars to spats, monocles to tussie-mussies (look it up) . The man is a joy. He is also the man who introduced me to Gammarelli (the Pope’s outfitters in Rome – more about them in a later blog).

Singapore: Kevin Seah

A recent chum, I am learning more about him by the day. Not only one of the pre-eminent tailors in Singapore, Kevin is also the Far East distributor for Gammarelli (see above) – their socks are to die for. Stop Press news: it’s just been announced he will be making clothes for Courvoisier (no other details yet). A good year ahead? I think so.

Japan: Hironori Miyawaki

You would think this elegant chap had walked out of some Imperial Palace in 1920. Wrong - this is Kobe (near Osaka), 2012. Another surprise is, he’s just about to start up in business as a Building Contractor. If he designs and builds as stylishly as he dresses, the ‘new look’ Japan is in safe hands.

My 2 Final Left-field Choices:

USA: George J Durham Jr.

Why do I choose George?: (i) his taste and style and (ii) his profession. He’s a funeral director, from North Carolina. I look at George and I think “this is the guy I want to have bury me, and do it in style, with taste (and me looking sharp in my coffin)...and with a celebration, not misery.

UK: Alex Mendham

Another cool young musician, this time from the London-ish area. Barely 22, and already he’s formed his own 1920s/30s style dance Orchestra. How crazy is that? They are already getting strong word-of-mouth so check ’em out: AlexMendham.com It restores your faith in the youth of today!

And two Honorary mentions:
Diane Naegel (R.I.P)

We lost this lady to breast cancer, late 2011, and she was barely into her thirties. A leading light of the New York retro scene, she was also a noted accessories designer and ran the nighterie ClubWitsend. Not only did a light go out, the wind in our sails dropped when we heard the news. But her legacy lives on in the magazine she founded a few years ago: Zelda, Zeldamag.com (Buy all five back-issues and subscribe for the next lot).

Most amazing woman on the planet who is not Lady Gaga or Madonna: Rose Callahan

Any reader of this blog who does Not know who Rose Callahan is, leave the room now. A New York-based photographer, her on-going Dandy Portraits project has been snapping us all – making me look palatable and all of us look great - and is due to reach print (yeah, I mean, a Real Proper book) sometime in 2012. - Bless you, Rose. We all owe you.

Guest Dandy: Ray Frensham's Stylish Men Of The Year

noreply@blogger.com (FineAndDandyShop.com) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 19:40:00 +0000

From our friend Ray Frensham, his second annual list of stylish men, part one:

A little belatedly perhaps (explained in Part 2), I decided to follow-up my 15 Most Dapper Men of 2010 post with a Review of 2011.

This time I decided to throw the spotlight on my Stylish Men of the Year - outstanding people who (in my opinion) had ‘rocked my sartorial world’ during the past year. Any honours and plaudits come to me, any criticisms... it’s all Matt’s fault.

It’s in two parts: this one focussing on the USA and UK; the next part looking at Europe and more, together with my predictions for the Next Big Thing style-wise for 2012. So here goes.

Man of the Year – USA: Darren Criss

So there we all were, watching Glee and suddenly these Preppy Dreamboys come onto the screen with dreamy looks, a great voice and a stunning accapella version of Katy Perry’s Teenage Dream, and we are all asking: who IS this guy? This guy was Darren Criss.

Seems he’d auditioned three times for Glee without much success, so he went back to San Fran and worked on his fun-musical send-up of Harry Potter (see it on YouTube). Maybe they were holding out on him for something special...

And then came Teenage Dream and the whole world changed – his and ours. The rest is history: weekly performances, solo and with other cast members and almost taking over the show!, the Warblers album, awards and huge worldwide fanbase, now Broadway.

He’s handsome, stylish, got a great voice, dances, writes his own songs..... makes ya sick, don’t it!? (I once had a waist like that!). There’s even a fansite called Blaine’s Bow Ties.

Betcha don’t know this fact: although the musical tracks for the (visual) Warblers are performed by the Tufts University Beelzebubs (check ‘em out on youtube, especially their version of Alison or visit www.bubs.com) the Visual Warblers actually do all the backing and support vocals for the rest of the cast songs in Glee.

Ask Darren what the attraction is, and he’ll say “it’s the blazers”. We say “it’s a little bit more than that, hun”. It’s called talent.

I’ve pestered Matt to get Darren to be Fine & Dandy’s model for their next LookBook (now that he's is in NYC for the Broadway show How To Succeed In Business...). (Just keep that unruly curly hair heavily pomaded down and looking straight’n’shiny). Let’s hope he reads this and says “yes”.

Man of the Year – UK: Gareth Malone.

How can I explain to the non-believer the phenomenon that is Gareth Malone?

He’s a choral music teacher that goes round the UK forming community choirs from the most unlikely resources, like deprived housing complexes. But this year, and his recent TV series The Choir: Military Wives he’s hit the jackpot. He has now become the musical equivalent of David Attenborough – how can anyone NOT like him? Here’s how it went:

He first visited a military base and turned the wives – ‘holding the fort’ while their husbands were in Afghanistan – into a choir. Then the wives at a nearby military base wanted to form a choir too. So he did that.

Next he merged both choirs and they performed at Sandhurst Military Academy. Then he had the idea of the wives writing their own song, using lyrics extracted from their love letters to their fighting husbands. Composer Paul Mealor (William and Katherine’s chosen composer for their Royal Wedding) was brought in to add a melody and shape it into a song, “Wherever You Are”. They then performed the completed song at London’s Royal Albert Hall at the annual Festival of Remembrance (in November) – it’s out own version of Veteran’s Day.

That was the turning point. The public were clamouring for the song to be recorded. When the single was finally released, a couple of weeks ago, it was the fastest selling single in a decade, trouncing the usual Simon Cowell upstarts and became the Christmas number 1 in the UK singles chart....and all the proceeds go to various charities for returning Service Personnel and their Families.

OK, so it may not be the most perfect choir you’ve ever heard, but there are moments in the ensemble singing which are, quite simply, sublime. The recording has touched a nerve in this country and it’s tears all round.

And it’s all down to Gareth Malone. He’s as cute as a button, he’s straight (married with a young child), is a gay icon (and totally cool about it) and he Really Rocks the bowtie-and-jeans look.....AND he’s still only twelve years old [OK, I made that last bit up].

Drakes (the upmarket London tie-makers) showed me the bespoke bow tie they are making for him – a rather dull plain tweed if you ask me...but I won’t hold that against him. Gareth Malone has shown us how one person can touch on so many other peoples’ lives, make a difference and be a force for good. (Not wishing to get too Kapra-esque about it, he embodies the spirit of Christmas).

I predict he will be given an award in the Queen’s Jubilee Honours list, mid-2012. Arise, Sir Gareth!

That’s more than enough for now. Part Two follows tomorrow.

Vintage Dandy

noreply@blogger.com (FineAndDandyShop.com) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 19:36:00 +0000

I get the sense that the photographer said "strike a contemplative pose"...

Dandies On The Runway: Burberry Prorsum

noreply@blogger.com (FineAndDandyShop.com) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 17:14:00 +0000

Some images from GQ of the Fall 2012 collection from the Burberry Prorsum show in Milan.

Dandies On Screen: The Artist

noreply@blogger.com (FineAndDandyShop.com) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 23:08:00 +0000

Wait, you mean you still haven't seen The Artist? It's winning tons of awards (including Best Picture last night at the Golden Globes). I found it visually stunning (as suspected) but also to be a delightful film overall.